Simulated bowling game



Feb. 24, 1970 w. mam; 3,497,232

SIMULATED BOWLING GAME Filed m. 27, 1968 I'ILTABLE= TARGETS g I I o 112o F 3 5 7 K "5 b A z ,7

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a? Wilhelm Menke INVENTOR. j 34! Fig.2 viz United States Patent 03,497,222 SIMULATED BOWLING GAME Wilhelm Menke, Bingen (Rhine), Germany,assignor to NSM-Apparatebau GmbH. KG., Bingen (Rhine), Germany, acorporation of Germany Filed Feb. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 708,696 Claimspriority, applications Germany, Mar. 31, 1967,

US. Cl. 273121 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Pinball machinesimulating a bowling game, with a set of bowling-pin symbols pivotallydisposed beneath an inclined platform for tripping upon the balldropping into a corresponding pocket, different symbols signifyingdifferent numbers of pins overturned.

My invention relates to an amusement device in the form of a pinballmachine wherein a ball is projected by a launcher toward the top of aplatform from which it may descend over a variety of paths, dependingupon the initial velocity imparted to the ball.

An object of this invention is to provide an amusement device of thecharacter described which offers novel effects to stimulate the interestof the player.

A more particular object is to provide a pinball machine whichsimulates, to a certain degree, a conventional bowling game.

An amusement device according to my invention includes in its inclinedplatform a plurality of windows, generally 9 or 10 if the device is tostimulate a nine-pins or ten-pins game, beneath which a set of targetsare tiltably positioned; pockets respectively aligned with these windowscontact contacts which can be individually tripped by the ball to set inmotion a tilting mechanism for the associated target, simulating theoverturning of a bowling pin. To accentuate the similarity with abowling game and to increase the challenge to the player, the targetsmay be individually associated with different numerical valuesrepresenting the number of pins supposedly overturned; these values maybe recorded on a counter having a register visibly mounted on theplatform.

In accordance with another feature of my invention, a common switch isprovided to restore the tilting mechanism to normal upon the descent ofthe ball from the level of the pockets to a lower portion of theplatform on its way to the launcher. I also prefer to provide guiderails in the form of a pair of parallel wires spaced in a directionnormal to the platform, the distance between these wires being less thanthe diameter of the ball; a rail of this description may curve about anarea including the windows and pockets and may be associated with aresilient reflecting finger disposed at the end of the guide path, thisfinger extending between the two wires and serving to return an oncomingball in the general direction of the pockets.

The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pinball machine embodying theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is an accompanying circuit diagram.

The machine shown in FIG. 1 comprises a box 10 containing theelectromechanical elements described hereinafter with reference to FIG.2, this box being topped by an inclined platform 11 which forms aplaying surface and is overlain by a transparent lid 12. A

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launcher 13 has a handle 14 accessible from the outside, advantageouslyat the right-hand side of the box, this launcher being retractableagainst the force of a spring 15 within the box to impel a projectile,i.e., a ball 16, upwardly along a guide rail 17 comprising twovertically spaced wires 17, 17" whose distance is less than the diameterof ball 16. Rail 17 curves around the upper platform 11 and meets aspring finger 18 adapted to intercept an oncoming ball and to return ittoward the middle of the board, just above a set of windows 19 alignedwith respective signaling lamps 20. Beneath each window 19, of whichthere are nine in the illustrated embodiment, there is disposed asimulated bowling target 21 tiltably positioned for a downward swingaway from the vicinity of the corresponding window, this swing beinginitiated by respective projectile-actuated contacts 22 disposed inassociated pockets 23 which are defined by ball-guiding walls 23' at alevel below that of windows 19 and the signal lamps 20. Upstanding pins24 of wire or other elastic material serve to deflect a descending ballfrom locations aligned with the guide walls 23, additional guide rails25, 26, 27 being provided for channeling the ball toward the interveningchannels or pockets and thereafter directing it into a further pocket 28containing a switch 29 A numerical register 30 on platform 12 forms partof a counter adapted to be reset by a knob 31.

In FIG. 2 I have illustrated part of an electromechanical systemdesigned to trip two of the bowling-pin-shaped targets 21a, 21irepresenting the first and the last target of the row. These pins arefulcrumed on respective axes 32a, 32i and are anchored to the cores ofassociated solenoids 33a, 33i which are energizable, in parallel withlight bulbs 34a, 34i of luminous signals 20, by contacts of respectiverelays 35a, 351'. A source of operating current has been designateddiagrammatically as a battery 36.

A further relay 37 is energizable via switch 29 from a bus bar 38 towhich the windings of relays 35a 35i are connected by way of respectivecontacts 22a 221' in pockets 23 (FIG. 1).

Counter 30 has a set of nine inputs respectively energizable by relays35a 351', these inputs serving to step the counter by differentincrements as represented by the numerical values indicated in FIG. 1 atthe signal lamps 20. Thus, a passage of the ball through the centralpocket 23 will trip a contact serving to register the number 9 whiletilting the middle target 21 to indicate that it has been scored, at thesame time lighting the corresponding lamp 20.

In the operation of the pinball machine shown in FIG. 1, the playerpulls the handle 14 to operate the launcher 13 which lets the ball 16ascend along rail 17, usually with enough momentum to carry the ball tothe deflecting blade 18 whence it reverts toward the middle of the boardfor descending through one of the pockets 23 unless an excessivelaunching force causes the descent to occur along the rail 17.Deflectors 24 may let the ball bounce back several times before itpasses between them into apocket 23, eg the one containing the contacts22a of FIG. 2. In that event the relay 35a is energized and locks overits holding armature to an auxiliary bus bar 39 normally carrying thesame voltage as main bus bar 38; the working armature of relay 35aoperates the solenoid 33a to tilt the target 21a downwardly, into theposition illustrated in dot-dash lines, as also seen in FIG. 1. Lamp 35alights at the same time while counter 30 is stepped to add the number 1(this being the numerical value associated with target 21a) to theamount already stored there.

The system remains in this position until the ball 16 has worked its waydownwardly between rails 26 and 27 to pocket 28 where it closes theswitch 29 and momentarily energizes the relay 37 which removes operatingvoltage from auxiliary bus bar 39, thereby releasing the relay 35a andextinguishing the lamp 34a with resultant return of target 21a to itsnormal elevated position. This cycle may thereafter be repeated with anew operation of launcher 13.

If the ball had traversed the pocket containing contacts 22i, relay 351would have operated to reverse the target 211' with registration of a 2on counter 30.

To reset the counter to zero at the beginning of each game, the playeroperates the button 31.

The counter 30 could also be operated subtraetively by reducing aninitially preset amount in accordance with the numerical valuepertaining to a target hit by the ball. A similar counter may be used toregister the number of launches under the control of handle .14. Acounter-controlled switch, not shown, may de-energize the bus bar 38 orotherwise stop the game after attainment of a certain score orcompletion of a predetermined number of plays.

I cla m:

1. A pinball machine comprising in combination: an inclined playingsurface with a plurality of windows flush with said playing surface; aplurality of simulated bowling targets tiltably positioned beneath saidwindows; a projectile movable on said playing surface; a plurality ofguiding means for said projectile disposed on said playing surface andaligned with said windows, each of said guiding means having aprojectile-actuated contact; launching means for propelling saidprojectile onto the playing surface on a path such that the projectilepasses over one of said targets and then actuates one of said contacts;and electromechanical means for so connecting said contacts withcorresponding targets that the actuation of a contact by a projectilewill tilt at target to indicate it has been scored.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of said targets isat least nine.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising switch meanspositioned below the level of said contacts and guide means fordirecting said projectile from any of said contacts to said switchmeans, said electromechanical means being responsive to operation ofsaid switch means by said projectile for restoring said targets to anormal position.

4. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said guiding means include anarray of upstanding pins positioned on said platform above the level ofsaid contacts with sufiicient separation to clear said projectile.

5. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a set ofsignaling lamps respectively positioned adjacent said windows andconnected for selective energization by said contacts concurrently withthe operation of said electromechanical means.

6. A machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising indicator meanson said playing surface responsive to the tripping of said contacts fordisplaying different numerical values upon the tilting of respectivetargets.

7. A machine as defined in claim 1 further including.

I wires spaced in the'direction normal to the playing surface by adistance less than the diameter of said ball.

9. A machine as defined in claim 8, further including a resilientdeflecting finger disposed at an end of said rail and extending betweensaid wires for returning the ball moving therealong.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,566 10/1901 Meyers 273--1242,553,155 5/1951 Warren 273--121 X 2,599,902 6/1952 Durant 273-1262,878,022 3/1959 Koci 273126 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner THOMASZACK, Assistant Examiner

